Gold Exploration Upswing (Australia): Odyssey Gold hit shallow, high-grade gold at its Shackle target (3m at 16.1 g/t) and says mineralisation remains open for scale and follow-up drilling. Near-Mine Growth (Australia): Black Cat uncovered new high-grade Lynx and Regulus gold lodes at Paulsens, including 4.8m at 18.8 g/t and 3.7m at 40.3 g/t, with surface drilling underway to test extensions. Solar Supply-Chain Traceability (China): SSI awarded its first traceability certification to a Chinese polysilicon plant, with an initial silver ESG certification also granted—aimed at mapping provenance across the solar PV chain. Project Restart (Nevada): Blossom Gold is reopening Portal #2 at its Rosebud project, targeting underground infill drilling in Q4 2026 after earthworks and rehabilitation. Critical Minerals Economics (US): Ionic Mineral Technologies’ Silicon Ridge PEA flags an after-tax NPV of about $12.1bn and a 69% IRR, driven by diversified advanced materials and multiple critical minerals. Labor & Output Pressure (Australia): BHP faced a historic Port Hedland strike and cut 2027 copper guidance due to grade declines at Escondida, weighing on ASX miners. Illegal Mining Crackdown (Ghana): Authorities seized 112 pump-action guns and arrested hundreds in a six-month galamsey enforcement push, alongside equipment seizures and forest reserve operations. Uranium Operations (Canada): TRX Gold reported record throughput and plant expansion milestones at Buckreef, while Cameco resumed mining at Cigar Lake after a temporary halt. Power Infrastructure (Serbia/Romania): Serbia and Romania signed an MoU to advance conceptual and technical documentation for the Djerdap 3 reversible hydropower plant this year.